What happened
A flight traveling from Nerchinsk toward Gazimursky Zavod was operating at an altitude of 1,900 meters amidst difficult weather conditions. During the approach phase to the destination, the aircraft entered a cloud layer while the pilot was oriented toward a mountain peak. Although the crew attempted to increase engine power, the plane maintained a flat attitude and collided with treetops. The impact occurred in a forested area on the slope of a 1,256-meter mountain, situated approximately 12 km southeast of Gazimurski Zavod.
The accident resulted in 10 fatalities and left five passengers injured.
Findings
Investigations determined that the primary reason for the crash was the pilot's decision to proceed with a descent under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) while flying through clouds and visibility levels that were below required minimums. Several contributing elements were identified during the inquiry, including:
- Inadequate flight preparation prior to the mission
- Deficiencies in coordination between the crew members
- An incorrect altimeter setting applied by the copilot
- A lack of necessary support or information from weather services